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Genre: Reality/Physical Comedy
Director: Jeff Tremaine
Cast: Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Wee Man,
Chris Pontius
RunTime: 1 hr 32 mins
Released By: UIP
Rating: R21 (Crude Humour And Graphic Content)
Official Website: www.jackass2movie.com
Opening
Day: 25 January 2007
Synopsis
:
When “jackass the movie” was released
in 2002, people were outraged. Critics called it “a
new low,” “a plunge into depravity,” “a
sad commentary on our degenerating culture,” and “a
disgusting, repulsive, grotesque spectacle.” Unfortunately
for them, here comes “jackass number two.” Simultaneously
raising the stakes and lowering the bar, “jackass number
two” unleashes the cast and crew as they get even uglier
around the globe.
Movie
Review:
“Jackass: Number Two” just seems like
the mentally challenged, less popular brother of Sacha Baron
Cohen’s “Borat” now that it’s an enlightened
2007. It’s a brave new world for reality entertainment
now that it has taken a step further into the so-called ‘ambush
intellectualism’, a term that was bandied about often
during the heyday of Cohen’s own television show. But
admirably, the inimitably impudent Jackass Crew (Chris Pontius,
Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Bam Margera etc) bears no façade
or any sort of laboured attempt to mask the idiocy of their
actions in their second film together and its honesty is appreciated
now more than ever.
Their
preceding show on MTV typified just the sort of programme
that the genre’s detractors’ often cite when criticising
the dangerous, over-the-top ‘non-reality’ junk
of the television (and now, filmic) landscape. Humourless
as these critics are, they’ll be hard pressed to disprove
that the sempiternal legacy that the Jackass Crew will leave
behind in pop culture is nothing short of a labour of love
to them.
Now
older but not necessarily wiser, these fearless urban daredevils
tempt natural and suburban hazards with unbridled obscenity
and a laudable sense of undying youthfulness. Not even employing
a cinematic conceit, they soldier on into the unknown with
their genitals in hand to stick them into greater unknowns.
There’s even a congratulatory undertone when it begins,
spurred on by their successes both together and on their individual
shows, every set piece in the original is trumped with the
scatological, testicular and blood ante featuring beaucoup
this time round.
The
camaraderie plays a bigger part as well. Almost as if a valedictory
romp through mischief, the team prank themselves more frequently
while hardly losing their sense of humour about it, as tensions
don’t flare up unexpectedly as before – all leading
to a strangely convivial feel about it.
Anyone
with a passing interest in “Jackass” will find
something to fancy on here. Free from the limitations of television
and the lack of ‘freedom’ it offered being on
air, it’s found some truly vulgar and revolting challenges
that even the most hardened fan of “Fear Factor”
might cringe at. Feeling insulted in the face of these scenarios
would be just tautological, considering they know who they
are and how much they are adored. But the populace’s
split opinions aside, you really don’t need me to tell
you whether you’ll enjoy “Jackass: Number Two”.
Movie Rating:
 
(You
know what you’re getting with this one but just remember
to eat light)
Review by Justin Deimen
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